Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was “completely slouched over with blood surrounding him,” held in his seat by just a lap bar when his girlfriend’s cries for help were finally heard.
This is the scene an off-duty doctor recalled when she went to help a man found unresponsive after riding an Epic Universe rollercoaster in September.
Dr. Anna Marshall was one of several witness accounts and new details unveiled in a final investigative report on Zavala’s death released Thursday, nearly three months after the incident. It concludes the case, deeming it accidental and the cause of death as blunt impact injuries.
The 32-year-old man was found unresponsive around 9 p.m. on Sept. 17 after riding Stardust Racers, a dual-launch coaster located in Epic Universe’s Celestial Park area. He rode the coaster with his girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, whose screams for help punctuated what is now known to have been a gruesome, ultimately fatal ride for Zavala.
According to the report, Zavala and Cruz-Robles boarded the ride with the help of park employees via a “lateral transfer,” as Zavala used a wheelchair and did not have use of his legs.
Cruz-Robles said it took a ride attendant multiple attempts to secure Zavala’s lap restraint. The lap bar at first did not meet the minimum amount of restraint required, but the attendant asked Zavala if they could push it down to secure it further.
The report states Zavala agreed and showed no signs of discomfort as the bar was secured after approximately two or three tries. A surveillance recording showed Zavala appeared “engaged and well” as the ride took off.
Cruz-Robles said her boyfriend appeared to have been secured in the seat. But as the ride began its first descent, Zavala came out of his seat and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them repeatedly as the ride continued.
She later said Zavala appeared to be seated correctly but that she felt his lap restraint was too low.
Several accounts say Zavala was found surrounded by blood and Cruz-Robles’ face was splattered with blood.
Cruz-Robles said she tried to hold her partner down but was unsuccessful. Her cries for help went unheard during the ride.
Her cries became audible at the end of the ride, and employees implemented an emergency stop.
Marshall, who was vacationing at the park, offered medical assistance to park employees, who she said “appeared to have been frozen.”
Zavala’s arm was hanging over the side of the ride, and his femur was “completely broken in half and resting on the back of the chair,” Marshall told deputies.
A paramedic said he was “stuck on the ride vehicle face down, falling out of the seat, with legs inverted,” per the report. Another paramedic said he “was bleeding from the face and his body was distorted.”
Marshall learned from Cruz-Robles at the time that Zavala had a previous spine surgery that resulted in metal rods being placed in his back. Zavala’s parents later clarified he underwent a hip dislocation which required surgery around 2010. He also had surgery to address a fractured femur around 2020.
Marshall found no pulse and believed Zavala was likely deceased.
It took park and emergency staff about 10 minutes to release the lap restraint that was holding him in place as he lay unconscious, according to the report.
The report noted “a significant amount of blood loss.” An investigator reported seeing a “significant amount of blood on the chair and the bar in front of the chair.”
Marshall recalled Cruz-Robles repeatedly saying, “His mom’s going to kill me.”
She later told deputies she believed his broken femurs played a “significant role” in his being able to reach and crash into the metal bar in front of him. However, she said, she didn’t feel that his lack of the use of his legs was the sole reason the incident occurred.
Zavala was pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center at 10:05 p.m. that night.
At the hospital, Cruz-Robles told deputies she and Zavala had ridden roller coasters throughout the day, and in the past.
Zavala’s father, Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz, told deputies days after his death that his “mother always told him not to ride the roller coasters, but he would never listen.”
As of Thursday, the case is closed.
“Because it was determined that no criminal acts occurred in this case, this concludes the Orange County Sheriff’s Office role in this case,” reads an email sent by Orange County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.
Stardust Racers, which opened to the public along with the debut of new park Epic Universe in May, is a dual-launch coaster that reaches speeds up to 62 mph and heights up to 133 feet across the 5,000 total feet of track. The height requirement is 48 inches, and it was classified as a “thrill ride” at the time.
The ride closed shortly after the incident on Sept. 17. It opened again Oct. 4, the same day the park released an updated Guide for Safety and Accessibility, which states that Stardust Racers riders who use mobility devices must be able to walk independently.
Warning signs placed at the ride’s entrance and throughout the line read:
“WARNING! These high-speed roller coasters include sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, tilting, an inversion, and dropping.”
And:
“Persons with the following conditions should not ride: Medical Sensitivity to Strobe Effects, Medical Sensitivity to Fog Effects, Recent Surgery or Other Conditions that may be aggravated by this ride, Expected Mothers, Motion Sickness or Dizziness.”
Stardust Racers is open to guests as of Friday morning.
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Chloe Greenberg
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